The United States has voiced its growing concern about modern-day slavery in Qatar after it downgraded the Gulf state on its human trafficking watchlist for 2014.

The move follows revelations of alleged maltreatment of migrant workers in the country amid a major construction boom as it prepares to host the World Cup tournament in 2022.

Qatar was demoted to a Tier 2 watchlist, with the report recommending that the Gulf state abolishes or significantly amends provisions of Qatar’s restrictive sponsorship system, which authorities have recently agreed to.

Qatar was previously on the Tier 2 watchlist in 2011 but was upgraded for 2012 and 2013. In 2007, it was listed among the Tier 3 countries, alongside Saudi Arabia, as one of the world's worst offenders.

The report also calls for Qatar to "significantly increase efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking offences, and convict and punish traffickers, particularly for forced labour crimes".

It also appeal to Qatari authorities to do more to fine employers who withhold workers’ wages or passports; and to enforce the law requiring that employees receive residence cards within one week of arrival as a means of preventing trafficking abuses.

"There cannot be impunity for those who traffic in human beings," said John Kerry, the US secretary of state. "It must end."

The US report said Qatar was a destination country for men and women subjected to forced labour and, to a much lesser extent, forced prostitution.

Approximately 1.2 million men and women — 94 percent of the country’s workforce — from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Sudan, Thailand, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Burma, Nigeria, and China voluntarily migrate to Qatar to work as low- and semi-skilled workers, primarily in the construction, oil and gas, service, and transportation industries, as well as domestic work.

Qatar's treatment of its massive foreign workforce has been under the international spotlight as it launches a massive construction programme for the infrastructure for the world football showcase in 2022.

Sponsorship systems for foreign workers exist in most Gulf countries, which employ millions of foreigners, especially from Asia. The system has been strongly criticised by human rights groups.

In March, an investigation by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) claimed foreign workers in Qatar were being kept in an “apartheid situation” where they are “treated like animals” and forced to live in squalor.

If you were a laborer, you would not be that happy to see others segregated, mistreated and underpaid.
But because you are a certain type of western expat in Qatar, you couldn't care less about what is happening to the lower tier of that society.
Actually, you might even fear in secret that any changes on the current system, might put at risk your comfortable and selfish situation.
Go and have a lavish bubly brunch on Friday morning in any luxury hotel in Doha, to celebrate your superiotity in relation to those second class laborers who do not know how to behave among the superior human beings.
Life will eventually teach you the lesson for you to develop some empathy for the less lucky ones.

I am a western expat in Qatar and have to say your comment is biased. Qatar is a great place to live and as long as expats respect the hosts there will not be any problem. Some laborers you talk of do not know how to behave in public places with families and that is why they are not allowed in certain areas only on Fridays. The taxi drivers may get 300 Euros but that is 10 or 20 times more what they make back home
Qatar could frankly care less about what Canadians think of their society. Qatar's society, in my eyes, is an amazing place and expats here will find it amazing as long as they are willing to respect their hosts.

Richard,
Those abuses are taking place because the System allows that.
Note that I am not defending any nationality as an exception. All profit from the situation because it?s allowed.
The System allows that because it is convenient for those who have the power to change the System, to enforce the change, to police that change.
Nothing of that sort is done in Qatar or any other GCC country.
It?s a silent disguised systematic discrimination.
I do not endorse and I will never defend or praise countries that are governed this way, while the leaders are obscenely wealthy!
You shouldn?t either as your compatriots are generally victims of those abuses!

Usual biases and lets blame the evil qataris without looking at the whole picture!

SO what if a passport is withheld or not?

They have embassies in place. But I guess their embassies is just as ineffective as the corrupt, illiterate, containing actual heridetary slaves and not lousy jobs countries they came from

As for proper accomdation, when you import south asians whos half of the population practice open defecation and live in shacks, ofcourse they will turn any facility they live in to reflect the filthy living conditions of their country. How many clean up after themselves?

Employees from a country which is not a member of the European Union (Ex:- Asia) is being considered TCN Staffs.
And there are differentiations in Salaries, Accommodations, Transportation and everything the company provides...!!

What shall we call about this...????
Everyone is doing the same mistake...